Changes in body composition and adiposity following an eight-week health-promotion intervention among adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes in Wakiso, Uganda: A controlled before-and-after study
- 1Hope Springs Health Foundation Uganda Limited
Abstract
BackgroundNutrition education and physical activity support are important components of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) care, but their association with body composition outcomes in routine Ugandan diabetes services remains uncertain. We evaluated a culturally tailored health promotion programme among adolescents and young adults living with T1DM.
MethodsWe conducted a trial study in Wakiso Health Centre IV, Uganda. Sixty participants aged 13-26 years were allocated through an alternating clinic-week schedule to an intervention group or usual-care control group, with 30 participants per group. The eight-week Active Hearts, Healthy Lives programme combined nutrition education, personalised dietetic counselling, physical activity support, and practical self-management activities. Anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance measurements were obtained at baseline and six months after baseline. Separate linear regression models compared follow-up outcomes, adjusting for the corresponding baseline measurement, age, and sex.
ResultsParticipants had a mean age of 19.45 years (SD 3.02), and 33 (55.0%) were female. Compared with controls, the intervention group had lower adjusted fat mass (mean difference -1.70 kg; 95% CI -2.48 to -0.92) and BMI (-0.72 kg/m{superscript 2}; -1.39 to -0.06), and higher fat-free mass (4.39 kg; 3.93 to 4.84) and muscle mass (1.73 kg; 0.84 to 2.62). These differences reflected modest changes among intervention participants alongside increased fat mass and decreased fat-free mass and muscle mass among controls.
ConclusionParticipation in the programme was associated with differences in estimated body composition at six months. Larger randomised evaluations incorporating clinical and functional outcomes are needed to establish whether the programme provides meaningful health benefits.
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BibTeX
@misc{nsamba2026changes,
title = {{Changes in body composition and adiposity following an eight-week health-promotion intervention among adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes in Wakiso, Uganda: A controlled before-and-after study}},
author = {J. Nsamba and S. Garelnabi and C. Mwanje and S. Arayo and R. Tibiita and K. H. Ademun and R. Biyinzika},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.03.26364632},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.03.26364632v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Changes in body composition and adiposity following an eight-week health-promotion intervention among adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes in Wakiso, Uganda: A controlled before-and-after study
AU - J. Nsamba
AU - S. Garelnabi
AU - C. Mwanje
AU - S. Arayo
AU - R. Tibiita
AU - K. H. Ademun
AU - R. Biyinzika
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/03
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.03.26364632
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.03.26364632v1
AB - BackgroundNutrition education and physical activity support are important components of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) care, but their association with body composition outcomes in routine Ugandan diabetes services remains uncertain. We evaluated a culturally tailored health promotion programme among adolescents and young adults living with T1DM. MethodsWe conducted a trial study in Wakiso Health Centre IV, Uganda. Sixty participants aged 13-26 years were allocated through an alternating clinic-week schedule to an intervention group or usual-care control group, with 30 participants per group. The eight-week Active Hearts, Healthy Lives programme combined nutrition education, personalised dietetic counselling, physical activity support, and practical self-management activities. Anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance measurements were obtained at baseline and six months after baseline. Separate linear regression models compared follow-up outcomes, adjusting for the corresponding baseline measurement, age, and sex. ResultsParticipants had a mean age of 19.45 years (SD 3.02), and 33 (55.0%) were female. Compared with controls, the intervention group had lower adjusted fat mass (mean difference -1.70 kg; 95% CI -2.48 to -0.92) and BMI (-0.72 kg/m{superscript 2}; -1.39 to -0.06), and higher fat-free mass (4.39 kg; 3.93 to 4.84) and muscle mass (1.73 kg; 0.84 to 2.62). These differences reflected modest changes among intervention participants alongside increased fat mass and decreased fat-free mass and muscle mass among controls. ConclusionParticipation in the programme was associated with differences in estimated body composition at six months. Larger randomised evaluations incorporating clinical and functional outcomes are needed to establish whether the programme provides meaningful health benefits.
ER -